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Minutes for HB2605 - Committee on Judiciary
Short Title
Increasing the maximum rate paid to appointed counsel for an indigent person.
Minutes Content for Tue, Mar 19, 2024
Chairwoman Warren opened the hearing on HB2605
Jason Thompson provided an overview of the bill and stood for questions.(Attachment 5)
Heather Cessna, Executive Director of Kansas State Board of Indigents' Defense Services provided testimony in support of the bill. She stated a recent Kansas Bar Association study from 2017 determined that the BIDS assigned counsel rate is roughly 64% below the going market value of private legal services in Kansas. Low hourly rates for assigned counsel can deter counsel from joining or staying on our panels because they are not paid sufficiently . This is particularly concerning as we suffer from extreme shortages. (Attachment 6)
Joseph Molina, Director, Legislative Services, Kansas Bar Association, testified in support of the bill. He states they support the efforts by Kansas Board of Indigents' Defense Services to improve their offices and services to Kansans. HB2605 is an example of improvements that can be made to assist with the many funding issues they face. (Attachment 7)
Jeff Wagaman, Kearney Associates on behalf of Kansas County and District Attorneys, is proud to support the bill as a measure to increase the maximum rate paid from $80 per hour to $120 per hour. He stated there is a shortage of attorneys in Kansas and it is an increasing problem that this bill helps address. (Attachment 8)
There being no further conferees, Chairwoman Warren closed the hearing on HB2605.
